Winter-SAD in Summertime
This summer has introduced me to a form of summer distress that I had not previously considered – Winter SAD in summer – an apparent paradox, which I first encountered when Miranda, a long-standing patient of mine, stopped by for a routine office visit.
Miranda is a professional in her mid-fifties, who has suffered for many years from typical seasonal affective disorder (SAD) between October and March. Since it is now high summer, I expected her to be doing well, but I was wrong. She complained of all the typical symptoms of her winter depressions: glum mood, low energy, a desire to curl up on her couch in front of the TV, and a serious case of the munchies – “everything that isn’t nailed down,” as she put it. To make matters worse, she said, although she expects to feel this way in the winter and has a whole regimen in place for dealing with her winter SAD symptoms, but she was utterly unprepared for them at this time of year when she typically feels at her best.
“What could be going on?” We both wondered.
Now, I have certainly seen winter SAD occur in summer or at any time of year when the weather is unseasonably foul. That’s how many people with SAD must be feeling in London, where they have been having one of the rainiest summers in living memory. That and all the unpleasantness of having the Olympic Games in one’s back yard is causing many Britons to complain much more than usual, according to a recent article in the New York Times.
Here in the United States, however, we are having one of the hottest summers on record with blazing cloudless skies. So, why should anyone be developing SAD? As I thought about the matter and discussed it with Miranda, the reason became clear. Miranda could not tolerate the hot days, so she was spending her time mainly indoors out of the sunlight. To make matters worse, she was keeping the blinds drawn so as not put too much strain on the air conditioning system. In other words, she was creating winter lighting conditions in mid-summer. To test this theory, I suggested that Miranda use light therapy each morning as she does in the winter, though not for as long (10-15 minutes instead of 30-45 minutes). It worked, and within a few days, Miranda felt her happy summer self again. She plans to keep using the lights until outdoor temperatures settle down and she is able to get outdoors again.
Bottom line for those of you with winter-SAD: It is not simply a winter condition: It is a light-deficiency condition. Any time the light levels fall too low – even in midsummer – you are at risk for symptoms.
Wishing you Light and Transcendence,
Norman
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